The Sea Does Not Reveal Its Depths

As the saying went: when a man died, he became like a tiger; when a tiger died, it became mud.

Deep in the old forests, amid tigers lying everywhere, a head that had rolled beside the mountain path suddenly opened its eyes and spoke with a kindly expression.

How could this sight be described as merely terrifying?

At the sight, the dread in Mo Chuan's heart quietly faded. He said with a teasing look,

"Tut, where did this wandering ghost come from? You dare possess a human head? Aren't you afraid this poor Daoist will smash your skull with one shovel?"

"Daoist, you misunderstand. We're no wandering ghosts. We're corpse drivers from the Yin-Retrieval Sect."

As the head spoke, the body lying beside the road actually climbed up on its own. Its hands fumbled about, picked up the head, and pressed it onto its neck.

Whoa—he had just performed a living transformation right before Mo Chuan's eyes!

At the same time, the other corpse driver's body also got up. After sticking its rear in the air and searching for ages, it found a head amid the jagged rocks, pressed it back on, and began cursing under its breath.

"Those bastards fit to be cut into a thousand pieces hurt me like hell."

Looking carefully, Mo Chuan saw that the head had fallen among the rocks and gotten its face scratched up.

Mo Chuan found this exceedingly strange. They were not afraid of losing their heads, yet they feared having their faces ruined. Interesting.

"What spell is this?"

"Compared with your Art of Telekinetic Grabbing, Daoist, it is merely a lowly little trick. Please forgive this old man for making a fool of himself."

The lead corpse driver glanced at the iron shovel in Mo Chuan's hand, smiling broadly as he cupped his hands.

—If he had not feared that the Daoist would bury them alive, he would never have spoken up to warn him! Of course, more importantly, this young Daoist looked like a good man.

"Is that so? How about we trade?" Mo Chuan said with a grin.

"You jest, Daoist. Skills are not passed outside the school, and the sea does not reveal its depths. Though this old man's inheritance is humble, it is passed to sons, not daughters; to insiders, not outsiders. I hope Daoist will understand!" Note 1

The lead corpse driver hurriedly cupped his hands.

"Ah, old sir, don't reject me so quickly. Hear the art this poor Daoist offers in exchange first. It would not leave you at a loss, would it?"

Mo Chuan wore a meaningful smile.

"Tell us! Tell us!"

The young corpse driver, clutching his scratched face, leaned in with shining eyes.

"Since Daoist is willing to impart the Dao, we could not ask for more. It would be good to broaden our horizons."

Whether because of his apprentice's words or because he wished to probe Mo Chuan's background, the lead corpse driver assumed an attentive, all-ears expression.

"This poor Daoist possesses an art called Ghost Immortal Spirit Mediumship. It can invite immortals to guide the planchette, subdue demons, and vanquish devils. Old sir travels through these mountains—if you encounter fierce bandits or lurking ghosts, you may summon a Ghost Immortal with the snap of your fingers. Then you need fear nothing!" Mo Chuan said with a smile.

"There's such an art?" The young corpse driver's eyes lit up, and he immediately tugged at his master's sleeve.

"When this old man was young, I heard a wandering Daoist say: all true immortals, heavenly immortals, and Divine Generals do not possess the bodies of living people. If any rashly possess a person and speak through them, they are surely evil demons and Outer Dao, unrighteous ghosts."

The lead corpse driver declined tactfully.

"This is a Daoist lineage dispute. Very well—this poor Daoist has another art, called the Law of Escaping Two Sceneries. It can consume the essence of the sun and moon. When mortals cultivate it, evil entities dare not approach them. After a hundred years, they may even cast off their corpse and become immortals. Would that not be carefree and joyful?" Mo Chuan added.

"Master, what's a senior sister?"

The young corpse driver tugged on his master's sleeve and urgently whispered.

He had not caught the rest clearly, but he had heard the phrase "senior sister becomes an immortal" loud and clear.

"Don't make a fool of yourself!"

With an embarrassed look, the lead corpse driver shook off his sleeve again and cupped his hands.

"This old man has heard that so-called Ghost Immortals ultimately have nowhere to return to, and can only reincarnate and take up another shell! We mountain folk care about dust returning to dust and earth returning to earth. I hope Daoist can understand."

Mo Chuan lightly drew a breath and said again,

"Old sir is quite free-spirited! This poor Daoist has another art: Divine Movement Like Wind. It increases one's strength, lets one conquer three thousand in a night. Life is but a fleeting instant—why not seize the day and enjoy oneself?"

This time, he was speaking of the Art of Ascending and Copying.

It was one of Mo Chuan's rare life-preserving abilities. Though he was willing to trade it, he did not wish to reveal too much.

Thus, he only disclosed a few details, to see whether he could cater to their tastes.

Upon hearing this, the young corpse driver no longer covered his face. His eyes shone as he once more reached to tug at his master's sleeve.

Unexpectedly, his master calmly pulled his sleeve away and cupped his hands.

"Daoist possesses marvelous powers! Please say no more, Daoist. As the saying goes, one does not sell the Dao for a thousand taels of gold, yet gives it freely to old friends at a crossroads. Please show mercy, Daoist!"

Hearing this, Mo Chuan carefully examined the old corpse driver's face.

If his eyes had not deceived him, he had clearly seen a flicker of temptation in the corpse driver's gaze. Yet for some reason, he had forcibly suppressed it and pleaded for mercy instead.

"Very well! This poor Daoist simply delighted at the sight of a worthy skill and acted rashly."

Mo Chuan took a deep breath and cupped his hands in salute. "Farewell!"

With that, he turned and headed down the mountain.

"The mountain paths are slippery in the deep woods, Daoist. Travel safely!"

The corpse driver called after him. Mo Chuan raised a hand in acknowledgment, and the thickening mountain mist swallowed that azure Daoist figure in the blink of an eye.

"Hurry and pack up, then get moving. Those fierce bandits can't settle their dispute. They may come back to search the corpses again!"

Once the Daoist had left, the lead corpse driver hurriedly urged his apprentice to gather their things.

"Right, right!"

The young corpse driver's heart tightened at once, and he hurriedly packed up with his master.

The youth could not keep things bottled up inside.

Before long, he could not help saying, "Master, that Daoist didn't seem like a bad man. Why not trade?"

The lead corpse driver spat by his apprentice's feet.

"You, you! Once you become human, you want to become immortal; once you are born on the ground, you want to go to heaven. What exactly do you want? After learning those Daoist arts, will you still drive corpses? You really don't know how high the sky is or how deep the earth is. Master is telling you: don't study that useless stuff. Look at Shoushan Town—how many dry bones have been buried there, all to learn that art piled high with mountains of gold!"

"Thanks to the Patriarch's favor, we have a trade that keeps us from starving, already better than most people by several times! Get through one day at a time; a day of leisure is a day as an immortal. Mastering the skills in your own hands is better than anything! Let me ask you: when that fierce bandit hacked at you, what did you use to block him? If you had angered him, then in a flurry of blades..."

The lead corpse driver's scolding abruptly cut off.

He looked at the pitch-black woods on both sides of the mountain path, then at his apprentice's bowed head and mute, awkward appearance. His heart softened, though his words remained stern.

"Move it. You lead the way; I'll drive the corpses."

"Master... the gong and bell!"

The youth reached out to take his master's Yin Calling Gong and Soul-Suppressing Bell.

"What gong and bell? Go, go, go!"

The lead corpse driver hoisted a string of mutilated corpses over his shoulder, moving as swiftly as flying, and plunged headlong into the thick fog.

The young corpse driver stood where he was. He lowered his head to look at the downhill path where the Daoist had departed, then raised it to look at the uphill road his master was climbing. In the end, he pursed his lips, gritted his teeth, and ran after his master.

Mist blanketed the wilderness, while wind rustled through the mountain forest.

After Mo Chuan descended the mountain, his heart felt terribly stifled.

The yellow-furred creature had regarded him as an immortal; the demon child had feared him like a tiger.

Along the way, he had managed to thrive on both sides, using his little cleverness to seize quite a few opportunities. He had felt, to some extent, that destiny was on his side.

Who would have thought that today, he would run headfirst into a wall before an old mountain man?

It taught him what it meant that beyond people, there were always greater people.

"Ah, gaining it is my fortune; losing it is my fate! Forget it! Forget it!"

Mo Chuan let out a breath and consoled himself.

"Hm?"

When he reached the mountainside, he suddenly gave a soft exclamation.

Two faint points of light had appeared on the mountain path.

Looking closely, he saw that it was a foolish, simpleminded roe deer, standing dumbly in the middle of the path and staring at him.

Yet the shimmering incense-offering aura upon its body could never escape Mo Chuan's notice, since he too cultivated the Incense Offering Path.

When Mo Chuan looked its way, the foolish roe deer immediately turned and walked down the mountain path. After only two steps, it stopped and looked back at Mo Chuan.

"Interesting."

Mo Chuan grinned and followed it.

Note 1: Partly adapted from dialogue in the film "King of Masks."